Ivory Coast to add 643 MW of power to grid by 2021

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ABIDJAN, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast plans to add 643 megawatts (MW) of power to its network by 2021, the government said, in a bid to meet domestic demand and boost electricity exports to the surrounding region.

West Africa’s largest economy, which produces most of its 2,200 MW of power from oil and gas, aims to generate 4,000 MW by 2020.

In a statement late on Tuesday, the government said the 643 MW will be generated by expanding Azito Energie’s power station in Ivory Coast, and by increasing the capacity of Ivorian electricity producer CIPREL.

A 253 MW expansion of the Azito Energie plant worth 225.8 billion CFA francs ($392.9 million) is due to begin over the first quarter of 2019, it said.

The project will include a 179 MW gas turbine, expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2020, and a 74 MW steam turbine due to begin operating the following year.

Azito Energie is owned by Guernsey-registered emerging markets power company Globeleq and IPS (West Africa), which is majority held by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development.

CIPREL, a subsidiary of Eranove, will see its capacity increase by 390 MW by the third quarter of 2021 - a 247.9 billion CFA franc project that will include a 260 MW gas turbine and a 130 MW steam turbine 60 km (37 miles) from the commercial capital Abidjan.

Ivory Coast’s power exports to neighbouring countries fell by 26 percent last year to 1,225 gigawatt hours (GWh) due to a decline in demand and capacity constraints. ($1 = 574.7000 CFA francs) (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly Editing by Sofia Christensen/David Evans)